Practitioners-Level Medical Astrology: General Information

About medical astrology and its benefits:

From the time of the Greek physicians and the Hippocratic-Galenic synthesis of the Roman Empire, through to Pasteur’s theory of pathogens, traditional medicine saw disease as dis-ease and adopted the belief that the body’s naturally healthy state is disrupted by injury or stress, resulting in illness unless the body can naturally right its imbalance. This medical outlook was combined with astrology in the late Hellenistic era, and traditional medicine, often with its astrological overlay, was used as the theory behind traditional Western herbalism. This system also survives into the present era in the practice of Unani medicine.

In our current era of possibly over-engineered medical intervention, in which care is often substituted for cure, many people choose to explore traditional medicine as an adjunct to modern treatment. It is here that medical astrology holds importance: Medical astrology is not a form of medicine, but an add-on to traditional medicine. It provides a timing system, and an alternate method for evaluating the dynamics of humoral distribution in the body. In traditional medicine, the humors are the four primary fluids which mediate the health and physiology of the organism.

As a sophisticated system which developed over many centuries, medical astrology has various facets and cuts across many of the conventional astrological subdivisions:

Natal astrological applications include characterizing each person in terms of their elemental balance (thereby constructing a healthy lifestyle) and studying their disease susceptibilities by traditional organ type.

Horary applications include questions concerning the development of disease, and the study of decumbitures (astrological charts set for the onset of a disease or condition).

Electional applications include selecting times for surgery, the commencement of a treatment protocol, or the commencement of any other medical procedure.

Dynamic applications include studying the chart for future periods of stress that could indicate the development of chronic disease.

Psycho-spiritual applications include considering the ways that obstructions to the soul’s functioning and purpose back up into the body as disease.

The challenge, from a student’s standpoint, is that the breadth of disciplines necessary to do medical astrology well is close to daunting. Not only does medical astrology demand competence in natal, horary, and electional astrology, it also demands detailed understanding of traditional medical theory and its many philosophical implications. The STA’s practitioners-level medical astrology course offers a unique study opportunity for this particularly specialized subject. The full details of the syllabus and course requisites can be found on the links below, which advertise our upcoming and currently available medical astrology courses.

We are usually able to arrange delivery of the course as an intensive event in any international region where a small number of astrologers have indicated an interest in taking it together as a group. Email us if you would like further information about this.

Further enquiries?

Enquiries on any specific courses detailed above are best addressed to the tutor or organiser via the email contact details listed. For any general enquiries, questions about courses in preparation, or to know about the prospect of a course being delivered in your own geographical region, contact the course administrator (admin@sta.co). It helps for us to know which country you live in, and if there are any formats that you particularly want or do not want to follow.

“Taking the STA residential course was one of the most valuable astrological experiences I've had, and cleared up many years of questions I'd had from off-and-on attempts to practice horary. Students will know they are in the hands of an expert, will benefit from the focused study, and enjoy the social aspects of such an intensive. I heartily recommend it to astrologers and students of any level.“

Dr. Benjamin Dykes,
Minnesota, USA

“Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you'll find this horary course totally worthwhile. What could be more wonderful than a week in the company of fellow students, immersed in doing what we love - astrology! The course is intense, demanding, well structured, deeply satisfying - and fun!“

Melanie Reinhart
Bali, Indonesia

“The STA offers the most in-depth and practical horary course I've had the privilege of attending. The range of case studies, scholarship and research are awe-inspiring. Deborah Houlding is a passionate, erudite leader in the field who combines the horary tradition with a psychological insight that gets to the very heart of the matter. She and the STA course are truly in a class of their own.“

Frank Clifford
London, England

“Thank you again for the incredible astrology experience that is your STA practitoner's course. I am so impressed by the way you repeatedly demonstrated the power of astrology and showed us all the nuts and bolts so we can do it by ourselves ... completely brilliant.“